An airplane in motion:

• Flight controls: In addition to the engines, the pilot has control over a number of other parts of the airplane that affect its motion through the air. These include the spoilers and flaps, and other parts of the wings and tail. These parts affect yaw (turning to left or right), pitch (tilting from back to front) and roll (one wing tilting up, and the other down).
• Air flow around wing: The movement of an airplane wing through the air causes air passing over the top of the wing first to be accelerated upward (upwash) and then rapidly downward (downwash). Overall, the wing produces a downward movement of the air, and the wing itself is pushed upward. The air flowing over the top of the wing has the lowest pressure. The result is an overall pressure difference that pushes the wing up.
• Four forces acting on a plane: The engine produces thrust, which pushes the plane forward. Thrust is opposed by drag (air resistance), which increases with the airplane’s speed. The thrust must create enough speed to generate lift. Lift is the upward force on the airplane caused by movement of its wings through the air. For the plane to become airborne, the lift must exceed the plane’s weight.